Sunshade for fuel tank



March 10,` 1959 s. A. BANKS l2,876,715

- suNsHADE FOR` FUEL. TANK Filed Feb. 1, 19557 l /L /7 /7 z BY @1%ATTORNEY Y, 2,816,715 Ice Patented Mar. l0, 1959 SUNSHADE FOR FUEL TANKStanley A. Banks, Brown City, Mich. Application February 1, 1957, SerialNo. 637,797

3 Claims. (Cl. 108-1) which may be readily applied to storage tankslocated out of doors and exposed to sun rays.

A further object of the invention is to provide a storage tank shieldwhich will conveniently t liquid fuel storage tanks of different crosssectional shapes and which may be made in various sizes to accommodate:storage tanks of different sizes and capacities.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shield which whileprimarily adapted for use in connection with domestic fuel storagetanks, is also well adapted for use on larger commercially used storagetanks.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure l is a side elevational' view showing the sunshade applied to aliquid fuel storage tank;

Figure 2 is an end elevational View thereof on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the sunshade,taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3--3 ofFigure 2, and showing the tank in elevation;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane asindicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and 1 Figure 5 is an enlargedfragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a planeas indicated by the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the sunf shade in itsentirety is designated generally 7 and comprises at least two metalstrap members 8, a piece of sheet metal 9, a plurality of spacerelements 10, a plurality of louver plates 11 and a nut and boltfastening 12 for each strap member 8.

A plurality, preferably iive, spacer members 10 are secured to eachstrap member 8. The spacer members 10 of each strap member 8 are allsecured to the same side thereof in longitudinally spaced relation toone another. The spacer members 10 are preferably V- shaped, as bestseen in Figure 4, and the ends of the legs of each V-shaped spacerelement 10 are turned outwardly as seen at 13, and said end portions 13are disposed against and suitably secured as by welding to the strapmember 8. The spacer elements 10 are spaced substantial distances fromthe outwardly bent apertured terminals 14 of each strap member 8. Theopposite sides of the strap members 8 are disposed against one side ofthe thin sheet metal plate 9 and crosswise thereof and are securedthereto, preferably by screw fastenngs v15, so that the ends of thestrap members extend from the side edges of the plate 9 substantiallyequal distances. The with of the plate 9 is preferably approximatelyequal t-o the spacing between the two end spacer elements 10 of eachstrap member. Said strap members are spaced from the ends of the plate9.

The plate 9 and strap members 8 are suciently resilient so that saidparts can be readily flexed. The plate 9 is adapted to be disposed overa fuel storage tank 16 with the strap members 8 disposed on theunderside of said plate. The fuel storage tank 16, as is conventional,is supported in a slightly elevated position .by depending supportinglegs 17. The ends of each strap member 8 are drawn around a portion ofthe bottom of the tank 16 and are detachably and adjustably connected toone another by one of the nut and bolt fastenings 12. The two strapmembers are thus secured around the tank 16 Ifor positioning the platearound the upper 'por tion of the tank. The inner ends or apexes of thespacer elements lll rest against the outer side of the tank 16 forsupporting the strap members 8 and the shield forming plate 9 inradially spaced relation to the tank to provide an air space 13 betweenthe tank and shield 9. The shield 9 is held arcuately bowed in crosssection by the mounting of the strap members around the tank and thelongitudinal' side edges 19 of the shield 9 extend to somewhat below thelevel of the horizontal center of the tank.

As seen in Figures 1 and 3, the shield 9 is of sufficient length so thatthe end portions thereof project beyond the ends of the tank 16. A'plurality of the louver plates 11 are mounted in eachy end portion ofthe shield 9 beyond and spaced Afrom the adjacent end of the tank 16.Each louver plate 11 has restricted inwardly bent and twisted ends 20,portions of which are disposed against the inner side of the shield 9and secured thereto by fastenings 21. The louver plates 11 are inclineddownwardly and outwardly and are disposed in spaced apart overlappingrelation to one another at each end of the shield 9.

The top portion of the shield 9 is provided with an opening 22 adjacentone end thereof to afford access to the filling neck 23 for refillingthe tankv 16.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the plate 9 andlouver plates 11 of the shade 7 will protect the tank 16, which ismounted out of doors, from direct rays of the sun from above, eitherside or either end of the tank 16. The plate 9 andr louver plates 11 areso spaced with respect to one another and to the tank 1.6 as to providethe air chamber 181through which air can circulate freely to prevent aconcentration of heat within the sunshade 7. It will thus be readilyapparent that the tank 16 will be maintained relatively cool even on avery hot day when the sun is shining directly on the sunshade 7, so thatthe loss of liquid fuel from the tank 16 by evaporation will be reducedto a minimum, thereby effecting substantial savings in fuel costs tc theuser. The plate 9 and louver plates 11 are preferably formed of sheetaluminum to reflect and deflect sun rays to a maximum extent.

Due to the flexibility of the strap members 8 and plate 9, it will bereadily apparent that the sunshade 7 may be mounted on storage tanks 16of various cross sectional shapes, requiring only a modication in thesize of the louver plates 11 and inthe twisting of the end portions 20thereof. It will also be apparent that the length of the strap members 8and the length and width y of the plate 9 can be varied for use of theshade 7 on tanks of different sizes and capacities.

It will also be readily apparent that the shade 7 may astenia 'be'readily applied 'to 'ia liquid fuel storage tank 16 alreadyinuse and,'duetothef'simplicity of construction and the manner in which it readilyadapts` itself to application to a storage tank,`may be readily appliedby a user. l Various 'modications and changes 'are contemplated andmaybe'res-ortedtwithout departing from the funetion orscope of the`invention as hereinafter defined by the 'appended claims.

I claim as vmy invention: p

1, A sunshade for liquid fuel storage tanks comprising a plate adaptedto be disposed over a storage tank, metal strap members secured to saidplate and adapted toengage under the storage 'tank for positioning theplate z aroundptheupper part of the storage tank, and spacing elements,Vforming a part of the sunshade, disposed between said plate and thetank forretaining the plate in outwardly spaced relation to the `portionof 'thejtank around whichthepplate is disposed to provide an air chambertherebetween, said plate and strap members Abeing 'formed of flexiblesheet metaLsaid strap members extending around the tank and `havingintermediate portions secured to the side of the plate facing the tank,

and said VVspacing elements being secured to and exten 4ing inwardlyfrom "said strap members.

2. A sunshade as in claim l, and fastening means detachably andadjustably connected to the end portions of each of the strap membersfor detachably and adjustably securing the strap members around the tankfor clamping the sunshade thereon.

3. A sunshade as in claim 1, said plate in cross section substantially.conforming to the cross sectional shape of the upper portion of thetank around which the plate is disposed, said plate having end portionsextending beyond the ends of the tank, and louver plates mounted in andsecured to the ends of said first mentioned plate and forming shieldsfor .the tankends.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,780Zimmerman Ian. 31, 1893 v2,577,317 Eschrich Dec. 4, 1951 12,608,942Smith Sept. 2, `1952.

